Other Essential Info

Here are some other quick facts and tips we ask you to review before you come aboard:

Arriving: Due to space considerations at our terminal and dock facilities, please do not arrive any earlier than 4 hours prior to your vessel's scheduled departure.

Security: For terminal checkin and embarkation, each passenger must present either:

One piece of government issued photo identification or

Two pieces of government identification, without photo.

Valid government issued identification must include name and date of birth.

Gravol and other medicines: We do not sell any medication on our ships, and urge you to make sure you have packed some before your voyage. We do sell motion sickness bracelets.

Bedding: Bedding is standard to all cabins, but is not provided for our reclining or reserved seat area passengers. Please pack accordingly for your voyage.

Footwear: In the interest of safety, we ask passengers to wear comfortable, flat shoes on our vehicle decks—no heels, open toes, Croc-style shoes or flip-flops please.

Strollers: Due to safety and limited space, we ask you to please not open or collapse your strollers while on a vessel’s car deck.

Smoking: We are pleased to provide our passengers with a smoke-free atmosphere in our terminal buildings. Smoking is, however, permitted outside in designated areas onboard our ships. Please note smoking is not permitted on vessel vehicle decks or cabins. Passengers who smoke outside the designated areas will be fined.

Official languages: Marine Atlantic is pleased to provide our passengers with service in both English and French. Bilingual employees wear an identifying badge for your convenience.

Be ready: To reduce crowding, we ask that you have everything you need for your voyage ready to go when your vehicle boards. That way, you can enter the vessel quickly and enjoy the duration of the trip without missing anything needed.

Your car battery: While waiting in your vehicle, if you are using electronic devices such as DVD players or video games, make sure to start your engine periodically. Also please make sure everything, including headlights, are turned off before you leave your vehicle.

Travel time: The Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador to North Sydney, Nova Scotia ferry crossing is approximately 7 hours; Argentia to North Sydney crossing is approximately 16 hours in duration. Please note travel times can be affected by weather conditions. Travel time is port-to-port, and does not include disembarkation.

Marine Atlantic prohibits
the recreational use of cannabis on its property, in its terminals and on board
its vessels. However, customers with
appropriate medical authorization/documentation for legal cannabis use will be
provided space on board our vessels and terminals to self-medicate. For those
customers who do not have the appropriate documentation, the use of cannabis
will be denied.

What
documentation do I require to use cannabis for medical purposes at Marine
Atlantic facilities?

Customers may present one of the
following:

Packing
slips and/or packaging information with the passenger’s name from shipments
of medically authorized cannabis by a licensed medical cannabis supplier
in Canada.

Identification
cards issued by licensed medical cannabis suppliers in Canada may be
presented but must be accompanied by shipping information from the
supplier.

An authorization to possess form issued
by Health Canada.

A personal production license issued by
Health Canada.

A designated production license issued by
Health Canada.

Registration
certificate from Health Canada.

Cannabis for medical purposes is legal
if you are authorized by a health care professional and registered with a
licensed producer or Health Canada. A note from a medical practitioner alone does not meet the requirements set out
by Health Canada to use medically authorized cannabis. If presenting a doctor’s note, the user must
also present one of the documents specified above to legally use it.

Customers may be asked at any time
during their travel, including during any pre-boarding screening procedures, to
present their documentation along with photo identification confirming their
entitlement to legally carry and use cannabis for medical reasons.

The safety, security and comfort of
passengers and crew are the highest priorities to Marine Atlantic. For this reason, we promote the safe and
responsible service of alcohol on board our ferries. This is done in compliance
with the liquor laws of the Provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova
Scotia.

Marine Atlantic’s Safe Service of Alcohol:

Passengers under legal drinking
age will not be served in bar/lounge areas.

Passengers may be required to
present government issued photo ID to confirm that they are of legal drinking
age (19 years of age).

Alcohol purchased on board the
vessel may only be consumed in licensed food and beverage areas.

Any personal alcohol brought on
board may only be consumed in passenger cabins.
Passengers seen consuming personal alcohol in areas other than passenger
cabins will have it confiscated and sealed for the duration of the voyage. Vessel crew will return the confiscated
alcohol to the passenger once the vessel has docked.

Marine Atlantic has the right
to refuse to check-in and/or transport a passenger believed to be impaired by alcohol. Additionally, if a passenger is believed to
be impaired by alcohol on our vehicle decks, removal of the passenger’s vehicle
at the destination port will be offered at no charge. The passenger will also be assisted with
arranging alternate transportation.
Marine Atlantic personnel will contact local authorities in situations
where intoxication is suspected and the passenger refuses this service.

The overconsumption of alcohol has the
potential to lead to unruly passenger behaviour. Where alcohol is available for purchase, the
crew monitors its consumption and will work to mitigate any behaviours of
concern.

Intoxicated and disruptive passengers may
affect the overall travel experience of fellow passengers and distract crew
members from their required normal routine duties. All passengers need to be able to comprehend,
cooperate, respond and follow instructions of the crew in the event of an
emergency. Ultimately, passengers and
crew want to get to their destination safely, on time and without
incident.

Marine Atlantic is pleased to offer a
designated driver program on each passenger vessel. Passengers are invited to ask our bar staff
about the program once on board.

You are permitted to transport a firearm on the ferry; however, you must comply with the following restrictions as per the Canadian Firearms Act:

The firearm must be unloaded.

The use of a secure locking device such as a trigger or cable lock is required or the firearm must be securely locked inside a hard shelled case.

The ammunition must be stored separately from the firearm.

The firearm must remain in a locked vehicle, preferably in the trunk. If the vehicle is not equipped with a trunk, the firearm must not be visible from outside the vehicle. The firearm is not permitted beyond the vehicle deck under any circumstance.

Foot passengers must declare the firearm upon arrival at the terminal and are required to use the checked baggage service. The firearm must be unloaded and either securely locked inside a hard shelled case or the use of a trigger or cable lock is required. Ammunition must be stored separately.